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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 P. OHENET.

MAGHIEE FOB. BRANDING BOTTLE GORKS. No. 283,567. Patented Aug. 21, 1883.

n Prams. meommm m. Washnghm. n. c.

3o conical mouthpiece, d, at the lower end of the UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PROSPER CHENET, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

MACHiNE FOR BRANDING BOTTLE-CORKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 283,567, dated August 21, 1883.

application filed March 24, 1893. (No model.) Patented in France September 9, THE), No. 132,635, and in England January ll, 1882, No. 151. I

To all whom; it may concern Be it known that I, Pnosrnn CHENET, of

Paris, in the Republic of France, have inventfor that purpose, of which the principle of opcarrying said wheel at, and gears m m eration is as follows: The corks, placed in a hopper, are fed down an inclined trough or chute. As each passes out of the lower end of this trough or chute it receives on one or both ends the impression of a hot branding-iron or marking-tool, and itis then rolled over ascoond brandingiron or marking-tool by means of a revolving wheel bearing upon it. This wheel also delivers the marked or branded cork article outside the machine.

The accompanying drawings represent a machine constructed in accordance with the invention, Figure 1 being a plan view; Fig. 2, a section on line A B, Fig. 1; Fig. 3, aside elevation, and Fig. 4 an end view.-

The machine comprises a hopper, a, an inclined trough or chute, Z2, atoothedfcedwheel, c, at the lower part or mouth of the hopper, a

trough or chute I), a retaining-arm, e, a stoparm, f, the iron or tool 9 for marking the end of the corks, its sliding support handretracting-spring h, the lever-arm i, and lever z" for advancing the branding-iron g, the wheel j for rolling the corks over the second branding or marking device and for delivering the corks, the spur-gears A: k for revolving said wheel, the fiy-wheel Z, operated by a crank or otherwise, for turning thewheelj through said gears, the sprocket-wheels m m, drive-chain, (shown in dotted lines between said wheels) a shaft III conveying motion from the shaft of fly-wheel Z to the feed-wheel c, the lever-arms n n", the yoke 1), provided with a handle, the iron or tool q for marking the periphery of the cork, the support g, of refractory material, for upholding said iron or tool, the bearing-piece r, the lever-arm r, the rock-shaft s, the bearingone or more series of ratchet-like teeth, and is journaled in stationary hearings in the mouth of the hopper. As shown, there are two series of teeth. The function of said feed-wheel is to pass the corks, which are placed pell-mell in the hopper, into the trough o'r chute I), one by one, so that they slide down said trough or chute successively in the direction of their length. The arms efz r are fixed upon the rock-shaft s, so that they move up and down simultaneously. A. spiral tension spring, e, (shown in Fig. 3,) connected with the arm 0, tends to hold the arms in their raised position. The spring could evidently be otherwise disposed, and evidently, also, another form of spring could be used. The arms cf i rbeing raised, the end of the arm f is in the path of the corks and acts as a stop to arrest the move ment of a cork as soon as it has passed out of the mouth-piece cl. WVhen this has taken place, the arms e f i r are depressed by the act-ion of the preceding cork upon the bearing-piece r. in the manner explained below. The arm 6, which at the end has the under side toothed (see Fig. 2) for greater security, bears upon and retains stationary the cork which has escaped from the chute '0 and mouth-piece (I, while the stop-arm f is depressed below the cork, leaving the end exposed to receive the impression of the branding-iron or marking tool g, which is heated by a gas-flame or otherwise. The tool 9 is advanced by the arm i acting upon the horizontal arm of the bent lever i simultaneously with the depression of the stop-armf. The end of the cork is thus branded or marked. The arms c f -i r are raised immediately thereafter, (the preceding cork having passed beyond the bearing-piece 1",) and the branding-iron or'marking-tool g is retracted by the spring h. The cork which has just had its end marked or branded is then taken by thewheel j and rolled over the brand ing-iron or marking-plate q, heated by asuitable gas-flame or otherwise, and its place against the stop f is taken by the succeeding cork. After passing over the iron or plate q, which marks or brands the periphery of the cork, the latter passes over the bearing-piece r and depresses it, and together with it the j is carried by a shaft which is journaled in the outer ends of the arms at n, the inner 5 ends of these arms being hinged to the bearings of the shaft which carries the fly-wheel I, so that the .said arms may turn on the axis of the said fly-wheel. The wheel is thus capable of being raised and lowered without IO interfering with the operation of the gearsk k. The wheel may therefore be made to bear upon corks of different diameter. In order to accommodate corks of different lengths, the mouth-piece (l is made" adjustable, so as to I 5 vary the distance between it and the stop formed by the end of arm f. To permit the adjustment the said mouth-piece is held in place by a set-nut, d, Fig. 1. That it may take a betterhold upon the corks, the rim of the wheel j is rounded and indented or provided with a series of small transverse grooves. Each cork as it leaves the bearing-piece 0', before it passes outof the machine by the spout u, is rolled over the bearing-piece t, depressing it,

r and operating, through the lever 15, the register t, which is of ordinary construction, and indicates the number of corks which have been branded by the machine.

Having now fully described my said inven. tion and the manner of carrying the sameinto effect, what I claim is 1. A machine, substantially as herein described, for branding and marking the end or ends and the periphery or side of corks or bot- 3 5 t e-stoppers at one operation, comprising mech anism for holding and branding the end of the cork, mechanism for holding and branding its side, and feed mechanism, all substantially as set forth.

2. In a machine of the character described, 40 and in combination with the marking or brand ing mechanism, the hopper, feed-wheel, and inclined trough or chute, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the toothed hold 5 ing-arm, of the reciprocating branding-iron or marking-tool, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with abranding-iron or marking-plate, of a revolving wheel for rolling the corks or like articles over the said iron or plate, so as to brand or mark the periphery thereof, substantially as described.

5. The described branding or marking machine, comprising, in combination, the hopper, feed-wheel, inclined trough or chute, the rock- 5 5 shaft and lever-arms, the reciprocatingbrand ing-iron or marking-tool, the operating devices immediately connected therewith, the second branding-iron or marking-plate,the mechanism for operating said wheel, and thebearingpiece for turning the said rock-shaft under the pressure of the cork thereon, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

PROSPER OHENET. 

